Hospital closure shocks health service chief

The head of the North Coast Area Health Service, Chris Crawford, says he was shocked to learn the Lismore Private Hospital was closing.

The owners of the facility, Owen Ferguson Health, went into receivership last week when staff and patients were told they had have to leave.

"The only real inkling we had that there were problems at the Lismore Private Hospital was in the media where from time to time it was indicated that they were struggling financially, but it did come as a bit of a shock to find that they were going to have to close their doors, which is disappointing because it's always good to have as many health facilities as possible available," Mr Crawford said.

He says patients will be accommodated at the Lismore Base and Ballina hospitals, while some staff may be able to find casual work in the public system.

He says he would like to see the facility reopen as soon as possible.

Mr Crawford says the public system will be able to cope with the closure of the Lismore Private Hospital.

"There probably will be at the very least a discontinuity period of some months in which case we need to be ready for that, to treat additional patients and also to support staff as best we can who may be out of a job there but may be looking for another job perhaps at Lismore Base Hospital," he said.